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Crawl Cay Crawl Cay, in the Bocas del Toro, is a vibrant and picturesque destination. A 20 minutes boat ride from Bocas town will bring you to this area with lush mangroves surrounded with calm, clear, tropical water. The thatch roof huts here are connected by wooden piers built on sturdy stilts.
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This cay offers excellent opportunities snorkeling and diving. There is a restaurant here that offers a sumptuous cuisine and the delectable well prepared seafood is the specialty. Just in front of the restaurant visitors can snorkel or swim at leisure and discover the underwater creatures including angel fish, sea cucumbers, hard coral, and several other tropical fish. The mangroves that surround the restaurants are also home to several fish species.
Most frequently visited for lunch during an excursion from Bocas, Crawl Cay is a perfect resting spot. Ample shelter, gentle sea breezes and a tropical setting make this a desirable destination.
Sway Cay
Sway Cay, also known as Isla de los Pájaros, is located just off the northern tip of Isla Colón. This small island along with its surrounding tiny islets is a marine preserve and also a refuge to some rare bird species.
Swan Cay is 70 meters long and rises 55 meters at the highest point. Bushes and other vegetation cover the summit, and there is a small concentration of coconut palms at the low end.
Some of the exotic tropical birds grace the skies as you enter the area. It is the only known nesting site in the southwest Caribbean for the Red-billed Tropicbird or the Phaethon aethereus.
It is also one of only three nesting sites of the Brown Booby Sula leucogaster on Panama's Caribbean coast. Large nesting colonies are found here and on Escudo de Veraguas Island, located east of the Valiente Peninsula around 17 km offshore.
Tours to this island are usually full day tours and include snorkeling at various spots. Restaurants located at Playa Drago, just 15 minutes by boat from Sway Cay, offer excellent seafood.
Zapatilla Cay
The Zapatilla Cay lies eight kilometers northeast of Crawl Cay and is an hour-and-a-half boat ride through the Bastimentos National Marine Park.
Bocas Del Toro
Sea birds are in abundance here and can be easily spotted as they take flight over the boast when you enter the surrounding waters abundant. The waters are also usually calm and clear and hug some good beaches. This cay comprises two small islands, Cayo Zapatilla Norte and Cayo Zapatilla Sur. They have been so named because of their resemblance to small shoes. Panama's National Environmental Authority (ANAM) manages the Cay.
The ANAM center is on the southeastern island, and visitors are charged an admission fee to disembark. The fee is around $10 per person for non-residents and $2 for residents. Visitors are also permitted to camp on the islands for $5.00 per night. All of the beaches on the island are excellent for swimming.
A 45-minute nature trail starts out as a wooden platform and winds its way through mangrove swamp and other habitats. The adventurous visitors can complete the route through the center of the island and return along the leeward beach and others may opt for the more comfortable route that backtracks along the elevated platform along the beach toward the point where the nature trail eventually culminates. This trail passes through a coconut grove into the shady mangrove forest, an old house garden with tropical fruit trees and a brackish water hole that according to legend, was frequented by pirates and once harbored buried treasure.
The windward beach has a strong refreshing breeze and an impressive collection of driftwood. You can also spot birds and crabs here and the scrub forest showcases native plants.
On the leeward beach, an easy walk takes you through a large coconut plantation owned by the Ngöbe-Buglé Indians. Rays of sunlight, wafting palm fronds, cool sand and the towering trees offer serenity amidst the unique natural beauty of this perfect place.
